Main menu

Tag Archives: All-star break

Sunday marked the last day of MLB games until after the All-Star break, and although the baseball world is looking forward to seeing Giancarlo Stanton put on a show in tonight’s home run derby (he’s the favorite to win), I wanted to focus my attention on the players who have posted amazing performances throughout the first half of the season.

For this post, I’m covering the players who I feel stand the best chance right now (given, it’s still early) of winning the three major awards of Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Cy Young. All three awards have multiple players who can be argued as being deserving, but I have my own opinion as to who deserves each award the most at this point in the season.

Most Valuable Player Award

American League: This is finally the year that Mike Trout wins the American League Most Valuable Player award. At least, that’s what many people are hoping. After posting amazing stats each of the past two seasons (25+ HR’s, 30+ SB’s) many felt Trout deserves to have already won an MVP or two in his career (each year the MVP went to Miguel Cabrera).

Even so, while there are a few other players being Nelson Cruz, Edwin Encarnacion and the always consistent Miguel Cabrera in the conversation, the Angels are nearing the top of the division thanks to another great season from Trout, who’s at the top of his game.

National League: Troy Tulowitzki is having an amazing year. Andrew McCutchen is having an even better season than the MVP one he put together last year. But Giancarlo Stanton is doing something extremely special.

No, he doesn’t have the astronomical batting average that Tulo possesses (mid .300’s), but Stanton’s power bat is keeping a counted out Marlins team in the running, despite some rough patches as of late.

Whether or not the Marlins turn things around is yet to be seen, but even if they don’t, Stanton is doing enough for him to pick up the NL MVP, in my mind.

Rookie of the Year Award

American League: It’s very likely that the running for the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year award is going to come down to two players once all is said and done — Jose Abreu and Masahiro Tanaka. On the offensive side, Abreu’s closest rival is George Springer, who’s been one of the few bright spots for the Astros, but is batting in the low .200’s.

Abreu leads all rookies in hits, homers, slugging percentage and RBI’s, and while Masahiro Tanaka has been the pitching equivalent of Abreu — leading rookies in wins — a recent UCL injury to Tanaka will likely push Abreu over the top.

National League: Despite getting off to a slow start to his rookie campaign, speedster Billy Hamilton has made adjustments that have enabled him to succeed on the major league level.

Although thought of as mainly a speed threat — having stolen 38 bases so far this year — Hamilton has also proven to many that he can handle the bat.

Showing a little power, blasting six home runs, and coming through big, leading all National League rookies in RBI’s, with 38, Hamilton is truly the only current above average NL candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.

Cy Young Award

American League: Scott Kazmir and Masahiro Tanaka (and even Garrett Richards) are arguably in the running for American League Cy Young, but as of right now, Felix Hernandez is the front runner. Finally receiving some run support, Hernandez holds an 11-2 record to go along with a dismal 2.12 ERA over twenty games started this year.

Striking out nearly ten batters per nine innings pitched, the Mariners’ ace has proven why he’s been coined “The King” in Seattle. Hernandez could very well be crowned with the Cy Young award when the end of the season arrives.

National League: In my opinion, the NL Cy Young is Adam Wainwright’s to lose at this point. Though the runner up to Wainwright in ERA, Johnny Cueto (Kershaw doesn’t yet qualify due to innings pitched), has a legitimate case for the Cy Young, Wainwright has been unbelievable this season.

Holding opponents to a mere 1.83 ERA, Wainwright has played a big part in keeping the Cardinals near the top of the division, sitting just one game back of the first place Brewers. If Wainwright can keep up the amazing pitching, he could receive his first career Cy Young award for his 2014 campaign.

Whether or not you agree or disagree with my picks for who deserves each award at this point in the season, one thing is for sure: there is still a lot of season left where any player can have anything happen. With 17 of the 30 teams at .500 or better, in terms of win-losses go, regardless of the award races, the games following the mid-summer classic are sure to make for one of the most exciting second halves in years.

The final MLB games until after the All-Star break were played on Sunday, and although the baseball world is buzzing about Yoenis Cespedes winning the 2013 Home Run Derby, with it being half way through the season, I figured I’d post a blog entry not on the derby, but on the players who I feel stand the best chance, as of right now, to win the three major awards of Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Cy Young. All three awards have several players who could be argued are worthy, but I have my own opinion as to who deserves each award the most.

Most Valuable Player Award

American League: It’s a two-man race for who deserves the MVP award for the American League. Both Chris Davis and Miguel Cabrera have already posted numbers that would be a great full year for many players, and there’s still nearly three more months left until the end of the season. But I’m going to have to go with Chris Davis, as of right now. Davis has been one of the best players in all of baseball for the past year, and if he can keep up the pace, should be the AL MVP.

National League: It’s a little more of a challenge to pick one player for who will inevitably win the National League MVP, assuming they keep on playing the way they have been. With guys like Yadier Molina, Michael Cuddyer and Buster Posey in the running, it’s not a very obvious choice. I’m going to go with Michael Cuddyer, though. While Posey and Molina are having great years, Cuddyer is making a bigger individual impact on whether or not his team wins than anyone else in the NL.

Rookie of the Year Award

American League: This was the easiest of all of the categories, for me. There’s no doubt in my mind that Wil Myers deserves the American League Rookie of the Year award. Altough I gave a bit of consideration to both Nick Franklin and David Lough, I just feel that Myers is going to have an even better second half to the season than any rookie in baseball. If he can play to his full potential, he should be able to blow away all of the other competition.

National League: It came down to Yasiel Puig, Matt Adams, Jedd Gyorko, Evan Gattis and Marcel Ozuna, for the player I felt most deserved the National League Rookie of the Year award, as of right now. All of them have been having fantastic seasons, and while they should continue to have great years, I had to go with Matt Adams. I still like Puig, and feel he will be a super star for years to come, but Adams deserves the award, in my opinion. The way he’s been contributing is truly incredible.

Cy Young Award

American League: When you have to pick between Felix Hernandez, Bartolo Colon and Max Scherzer, for American League Cy Young, it’s not an easy choice. All have been having great seasons, and you can make an argument for and against each player. But after going back and forth between them, I ended up going with Max Scherzer. While it would appear an easy decision, with Scherzer’s record of 13-1, it wasn’t. Eight AL pitchers have a better ERA, but when you combine everything, I still have Scherzer for the Cy Young.

National League: I had several different pitchers on my list of players deserving of the National League Cy Young award, including guys like Matt Harvey, Jeff Locke, Adam Wainwright, Patrick Corbin, Jordan Zimmermann and Madison Bumgarner, but I didn’t go with any of them. I ended up going with Clayton Kershaw. While I’m a huge fan of Harvey, and could’ve easily picked him, Kershaw is having the overall better year, and that’s why I have him winning the award.

But there’s still plenty of time left in the season, and anything can happen.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

With all of that said, this will be my last blog post for a good bit of time.

I’m going on a 24-day road trip around the country, starting Wednesday, and won’t have the time to put in the effort necessary to keep up this blog. Though I hate breaking one of my original goals of blogging at least once every four days, it can’t be helped; but I’m still on pace for my goal of 100 posts for the year. At least I’m incorporating baseball into the trip, among numerous other things, as I’ll be attending the Mariners game in Seattle, on July 26th, versus the Twins. So that should be fun. (I haven’t decided yet if I’ll be blogging about the game.)